Memory priorities, was Re: 1.4.0 BETA problems

[Michael Boehnisch <billy%psycho.uni-paderborn.de@localhost>]

Matthias Scheler <tron%lyssa.owl.de@localhost> wrote:
> In article <199905071309.PAA05634%psycho4.uni-paderborn.de@localhost>,
>       Michael Boehnisch <billy%psycho.uni-paderborn.de@localhost> writes:
> >   Cyberstorm PPC/68060 with 80MB RAM (8MB reserved by PPC)
> >   Fastlane Z3          with 24MB RAM
> >   Base memory               16MB RAM fast, 2MB chip
> > 
> >   When Bootblock-booting with option -n2, ...
> 
> You want to use "-n0" anyway. My system compiles a kernel twice as fast
> if the memory on the Z3 Fastlane is ignored. Obviously the memory is
> accessed in a strang order, so that the slow Z3 Fastlane memory is used
> even if CPU board fast memory is available.

Why not including a new concept "memory priority" into the kernel?

Is this possible?  I think of a modification in the memory allocation
functions that try to get fast (high priority) RAM first before touching
slower (low priority) memory.

Another idea could be an option to the mfs device: use slow memory for
this device, it's still far better than hard disk access but saves the
high priority RAM for kernel/user applications.

Of course, it's just an idea, I have not even a faint idea if this is
managable at all.

Yours,

   Michael B"ohnisch